NRC suspends license decisions

[Capt Worley PE]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday voted to halt final decisions on granting new and renewed licenses for all reactors following a June court ruling that said the agency first must assess the environmental risks of storing radioactive waste.

The move could mean a potentially years-long delay of final decisions on as many as 19 pending nuclear power plant licenses, including a proposal to renew those for the South Texas Project nuclear plant near Bay City.

Read more here: http://www.thestate....l#storylink=cpy

 

[knight1fox3]

Interesting read. Though I'm guessing they will be pushed by all utilities across the US to conduct their studies as quickly as possible. I have been at 3 plants this year and I know their licenses are expiring soon. We just finished a cask handling crane for Crystal River and it is going into storage for an undetermined length of time because they aren't sure if they will use since they may not be able to renew.

I also don't think this will affect the two new plants that have already been approved in GA and VA. I'm working on custom handling equipment for the one in VA.

 

[Master slacker]

"Energy prices will necessarily skyrocket..."

 

[envirotex]

As someone whose discipline says "Enviro" and has experience on the Yucca Mtn project, I'm not really seeing an issue here...

 

[Supe]

Interesting read. Though I'm guessing they will be pushed by all utilities across the US to conduct their studies as quickly as possible. I have been at 3 plants this year and I know their licenses are expiring soon. We just finished a cask handling crane for Crystal River and it is going into storage for an undetermined length of time because they aren't sure if they will use since they may not be able to renew.

I also don't think this will affect the two new plants that have already been approved in GA and VA. I'm working on custom handling equipment for the one in VA.

VA?

 

[Master slacker]

Jay jay?

 

[Ble_PE]

Interesting read. Though I'm guessing they will be pushed by all utilities across the US to conduct their studies as quickly as possible. I have been at 3 plants this year and I know their licenses are expiring soon. We just finished a cask handling crane for Crystal River and it is going into storage for an undetermined length of time because they aren't sure if they will use since they may not be able to renew.

I also don't think this will affect the two new plants that have already been approved in GA and VA. I'm working on custom handling equipment for the one in VA.

VA?

That's what I was wondering too... I know about GA and SC.

 

[mudpuppy]

As someone whose discipline says "Enviro" and has experience on the Yucca Mtn project, I'm not really seeing an issue here...

:banhim: (or her in this case)

I'd like to hear your argument for coal being more environmentally friendly than nuclear.

Unless you think our sole source of energy should be natural gas. . . I suppose there is an argument there, but the lack of supply diversity isn't really a good idea.

Every other alternative is a pipe dream.

 

[mudpuppy]

Responding to the original post, not sure what's going on here but obviously some sort of political game. The administration cut funding for Yucca (perhaps illegally), the plants have been paying into the waste fund for years and the feds promised to provide a repository. . . now the courts are agreeing with the plants, so the NRC is trying to pressure somebody--not sure if they're pressuring the plants to back off or the administration to do something? Just my naive take on it.

Meanwhile, regardless if the licenses are renewed, the waste will still sit at the plants.

 

[knight1fox3]

Interesting read. Though I'm guessing they will be pushed by all utilities across the US to conduct their studies as quickly as possible. I have been at 3 plants this year and I know their licenses are expiring soon. We just finished a cask handling crane for Crystal River and it is going into storage for an undetermined length of time because they aren't sure if they will use since they may not be able to renew.

I also don't think this will affect the two new plants that have already been approved in GA and VA. I'm working on custom handling equipment for the one in VA.

VA?

That's what I was wondering too... I know about GA and SC.

Sorry the other one that I believe was approved was in TN (TVA). We are working with another client in VA to develop a new more efficient and automated nuclear plant with state of the art equipment. This design will most likely be the future for nuclear plants in the US.

 

[Supe]

TVA is finishing Watts Bar, but are way over budget and behind schedule. There are two newly licensed projects in the US, and SCANA and Southern Co. have those licenses.

Curious as to who in VA you're referring to. Personally, I think B&W has the best shot outside of Westinghouse to come out with a new design, and that will be the SMR's.

 

[knight1fox3]

There was mention that TVA had some other area (not sure how close to Watts Bar) reserved for plans of another site. Perhaps their application actually hasn't been approved yet. It sounded like it was though.

 

[Ble_PE]

Another site that TVA has been working on or thinking about working on is Bellefonte, in Northern Alabama.

 

[envirotex]

As someone whose discipline says "Enviro" and has experience on the Yucca Mtn project, I'm not really seeing an issue here...

:banhim: (or her in this case)

I'd like to hear your argument for coal being more environmentally friendly than nuclear.

Unless you think our sole source of energy should be natural gas. . . I suppose there is an argument there, but the lack of supply diversity isn't really a good idea.

Every other alternative is a pipe dream.

Not making an argument for any energy type over another...just commenting because this article means more work available for me...

...searching for RFPs...

 

[mudpuppy]

^Ah, sorry, misconstrued your statement. Carry on!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Responding to the original post, not sure what's going on here but obviously some sort of political game. The administration cut funding for Yucca (perhaps illegally), the plants have been paying into the waste fund for years and the feds promised to provide a repository. . . now the courts are agreeing with the plants, so the NRC is trying to pressure somebody--not sure if they're pressuring the plants to back off or the administration to do something? Just my naive take on it.

Meanwhile, regardless if the licenses are renewed, the waste will still sit at the plants.

Thanks. I figured it was some political ploy, but couldn't make it past that. What you said about Yucca makes sense.

 

[Flyer_PE]

The South Texas Project units 3 and 4 were put on hold early last year anyway. Tokyo Electric was one of the major partners in the project and were having money problems even before Fukushima.